The Last War

22. Glass-clad Facade

"And then she did that – unusual shining thing – very strange. And then – you woke up."
Po finished his long story and looked around with excitement. He stood in the kitchen, not far away from the new alive Sheng, who sat at a table where Mr. Ping took away the empty soup bowl which the young peacock had emptied. Sheng had listened to him very carefully. It was in the middle of the night, but nobody seemed to be tired. Even not Shen, who had left them all so suddenly without explanation.
Po and Mr. Ping took the task to lead the young peacock into the kitchen. Then Po started his story. First, he talked about how he had met Shen and what happened all in Gongmen City, but he avoided talking about details in Shen's murder case. Then he continued with what happened after the battle and so on and so on, until what Xinxin had told about his mother and all. Sheng said nothing while Po was talking. Even not if Po talked about what had happened in King Wang's castle. He asked no questions about his mother or sister. But when Po had finished, he folded together his blue-green wings and stared at the table surface deep in thought, nobody knew about what.
Po watched him in disillusionment. He put his fingertips together and waited for a reaction. But Sheng looked like he would feel nothing. At least not at the moment. Then he lifted his eyes, directed them at the Dragon Warrior and asked with firm, calm voice: "Any suggestions or plans to get them out?"
Po looked at the young man in surprise. He had expected tears or questions about his mother, but he was more than neutral.
"Eeeeehhhhhh.... Not yet," Po brought himself to say. "Not yet, at the moment."
Po flinched when the peacock slammed his wings on the table. "In this case, I have to take matters in hand myself!"
With that, he got up, bowed at Mr. Ping, thanked for the meal, then he left the room. The gander and the panda looked after him with confusion. For more than 10 seconds, Po didn't know what to say. That boy was the opposite of his sister and so – neutral.
"Don't mind," a female voice said and Xinxin appeared in the kitchen. "It's not because of you," the vixen said. "But you have to know, Xiang trained him very hard to hide feelings. He should never show such kind of things." She paused. "With success." With a deep sigh, she wiped over her head. "But I only want to say, that she came to herself again."
"Who?" Po asked.
"Soothsayer."
"Oh, can I go to her?"
The maid shrugged her shoulders gently. "Well, Lord Shen is with her."

Her breaths became stronger again. The peacock watched her with watchful eyes. For over one hour, he stood next to her sleeping place in one of the houses. Her big brother-in-law took a look at her from time to time. The peacock held his breath when she opened her eyes.
First, she seemed to be exhausted, but then she smiled at him. Shen forced a little smile back, but he wasn't very successful with that gesture.
"That's the first time that I have to wait for your awaking," he said quietly.
She sighed cheerily. "How is he?"
"He is fine again," he answered.
A new sigh and she leaned back on her pillow. He craned his neck, just to be sure that she didn't drift in a new faint. But her breathing was normal and he kept calm.
"Well, I only wanted to see whether you are okay."
He turned around, but her voice let him wince.
"Tell me the reason."
He stopped. "The reason for what?"
"I heard about what happened between him and you." She opened her eyes completely. "Why?"
The peacock looked at her and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What should I have done instead?"
"You know what I mean," she whispered gently. "It's because of your father, isn't it?"
"How..." But Shen stopped himself and lowered his face. "That... wasn't..."
"Why didn't you give him an embrace after you embraced him on his bed?"
The white lord bit on his underlip. "I couldn't..." He took a deep breath. "And I can't."
For a moment there was silence, until the goat tried a new start. "I remember how your father hugged you when you were a little child."
She couldn't see it, but Shen tensed his wings a little. "You know nothing."
She sighed loudly, but she continued. "You were always happy when he hugged you. The state business occupied a lot of time. But you and he had your family times somehow."
The peacock swung around. He didn't want to look at her.
She let time elapse away before she dared to interrupt the silence. "It hurt you that he repudiated you. Is that how it was?"
The peacock stood there without saying a word. Usually, he didn't talk about such things, but he had no inhibitions to her to say what he thought.
"When he told me, I should leave my home," he muttered. "I thought, his father role was just facade." There was a bitter undertone in his voice. "I never wanted to feel that again." He paused, then he looked back to her. "Satisfies that your question?"
She watched him silently and his narrowing eyes finished the dialog. Suddenly, he jumped forward to the door and opened it with a harsh movement. When Po's eyes met his ones, the panda fell almost backwards.
"Uh, I... didn't... I was going to knock against the door," the panda apologized quickly.
Shen growled. "Is there no time when I can escape from your eyes?!"
Po smiled nervously and waved to Soothsayer. "Hi, nice to see you awaken."
Shen lifted his head and walked away. "I let you alone now."
Po looked after him crestfallen. "Is he angry about me?"
The goat lifted her hoof in a calm way. "It was a hard day for all of us."
"Uh, yes."
"Now?" She bent forward. "What is it, big warrior?"
"What... oh, oh, yes, yes. Sorry." Po chuckled and came closer. "I only came... well, I also wanted to see whether you are fine or not... and... I- I only... well... I wanted to ask...what was that?"
She petted over her chin. "You mean what, strong warrior?"
"That shining flying thing." With that Po swung his paws.
The old goat smiled. "Chi."
"Chi?" Po had no explanation about that. "What's Chi? Can I learn that?"
The soothsayer smirked. "Dragon Warrior. There will be a time when it will reveal to you."
Po let sink his shoulders in disappointment. "Why don't you want to tell me now?"
But the goat waved her hooves gently. "Exercise patience, big warrior. Your time will come. But until then, I think you have to do more important things at the moment."